Sylvania



B. D. KUNKLE.

AUTOMOBiLE STAR'HNG SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED mus. 19.

1,3 14,524. Patented Sept. 2,1919.

Fifi u WITNESSES: ,1 "WENT a 2 2 I 9 A lTORN'EY Ill! rummmln PLANDERAPII to" WASHINGTON. .1. c

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BAYARD D. KUNKLE, OF WILKINSB'URG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOB TO WESTING- HOUSE ELECTBIC AND MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENN- SYLVANIA.

AUTOMOBILE STARTING-SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 2, 1919.

Application filed April6, 1914. Serial No. 829,956.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BAYARD D. KUNKLE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of ilkins'burg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Automobile Starting-Switches, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to automobile starting switches, and it has for one of its objects to provide such a switch that is simple and durable in construction and eflicient in operation.

A second object of my invention is to provide a starting switch that is so arranged as to prevent its use by unauthorized persons.

The details of my invention are described in connection with the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a top view, partially in plan and partially in section. of a switch constructed in accordance with my invention, the cover being removed. Fig. 2 is a side view, partially in elevation and partially in section, of the device illustrated in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view, similar to Fig. 2 of a modification, parts being broken away.

Referring to the drawings, a casing 1 is provided with openings 2 to be occupied by terminal screws or bolts 3 that are insulated from the casing 1 by strips 4 and 5 of insulating material. A stationary contact member 6 is held in position by a terminal bolt 3 and a pin 7 that extend through the insulating strip 4. A movable contact member 8, which coacts with the contact member 6, is attached to an end portion of a blade spring 9 of steel or other suitable conducting material. A portion of the engaging surface of the contact member 8 is curved, as indicated at 10, for a purpose to be later described. The other end of the spring 9 is fixed on the second terminal bolt 3 by a nut 11. The nut 11 is locked by an end portion 12 of the spring 9 that is bent upward to engage the side of the nut 11. End portions 13 of the spring 9, which are bent downward to occupy a suitable recess in the insulating strip 4, serve to prevent rotative movement of the spring about the terminal bolt 3 to which it is fixed.

The casing 1 is provided with a cover plate 14 which supports a tube 15 that projects through an opening 16 into the casing 1. A removable "actuating pin 17, which is adapted to reciprocate in the guide tube 15, is provided, at its outer end, with a knob or head 18 for engagement by the hand or the foot of the operator, and with an end portion 19 of insulating material to engage the spring at an intermediate portion. The upward movement of the contact member 8 is limited by a stop 20 of insulating material that is fixed to the cover 14. A conductor 21 is connected between the terminal bolt 3 and the contact member 8, in shunt relation with the spring 9.

Normally, the switch is in its open position, with the spring 9 engaging the stop 20. To close the switch, the pin 17 is pressed downwardly to engage the contact members or blocks 6 and 8. By means of the curved port-ion 10, the contact member 8 may be caused to rock slightly upon the contact member 7 and to have a slidable engagement therewith, the spring 9 acting, in effect, as a toggle, when pressed by the pin 17. The sliding and rocking movements of the contact member 8 tend to produce a clean contact surface and to prevent the freezing or adhesion of the contact members. When the pin 17 is released, the same relative movements will occur in the opposite direction.

When it is desired to leave unattended a vehicle to which the switch may be applied, it is only necessary to remove the pin 17 to insure that the switch cannot be operated by unauthorized persons.

It will be noted that I have provided a switch comprising parts that are few In number and simple in character. The eifective operation of the device is insured by the rocking and sliding movement of the movable contact member. Unauthorized persons are prevented from tamperm with the device by rendering it substantia ly inaccessible, when desired.

A modification of my invention is illustrated in Fig. 3, in which like numerals designate corresponding parts. In this form of my invention, it is not intended that the actuating pin shall be removed after the switch has been mounted in position.

An actuating pin 22 is provided with a small locking pin 23 for preventing its removal from the guide tube 15. The pin 22 is further provided with a removable head 24 which is adapted to be put in place after the switch, which has been previously assembled, has been mounted in position beneath a floor, with the guide tube 15 and the pin 22 projecting u ward through a suitable o ening in the cor. The modification differs in no other material respect from the device illustrated in Fig. 2.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a switch, the combination with a casing, a cover therefor, terminal members projecting through and secured to the wall of said casing, insulation between said terminal members and said well, and a contact block secured to the inner end of one of said terminal members and having a plane engaging surface, of a movable contact block having a curved surface, a spring of substantially U-shape connected at one end to the other terminal member for pivotally and resiliently supportiir said movable contact block at its free en a conductor coextensine with the spring for electrically connecting the second terminal member and the contact carried by the free end of the spring, and a pin readily movable during the operation of the switch, projecting through said cover to an intermediate part of said spring for actuating same to ,produce a simultaneous rocking and sliding engagement of said contact members.

2. In a switch, the combination with a fixed contact member having a plane engaging surace, and a coacting movable contact member having a curved ortion for engagin the fixed contact mem er, of a spring of sugstantially u shape for resiliently and pivotally supporting said movable contact member atone of its ends out of engagement with said fixed contact member, a conductor coextensive with said spring, and manually controlled means for actuating said spring at an intermediate point to cause said movable contact member to engage said fixed contact member and to have a simultaneous rolling and sliding movement thereon.

3. In a switch, the combination with a switch case, of a cover therefor, terminal members projecting through, and secured to, the wall of said case but insulated therefrom, a stationary contact block connected to the inner end of one of said terminal members and having a plane engaging surface, a spring of substantially U-shape having a freely movable part extending adjacent to the stationary contact block, a contact block secured to said movable part of the spring having a curved portion on one surface and coat-ting with said stationary contact block, a conductor coextensive with said spring electrically connecting the second terminal member and second contact block, and an actuating member projecting through said cover to an intermediate part of said spring for operating the same to cause the movable contact block to engage the stationary contact block.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 31st day of March,

BAYARD D. KUNKLE. Witnesses:

D. J. JACKSON, B. B. Hume.

Gepies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. O. A 

